RB Leipzig are hoping to disappoint Liverpool by tying transfer target Timo Werner down to a new deal with a big release clause, a report claims.
In December Bild reported that Jurgen Klopp was weighing up a move for Werner, who has so far refused to sign a new contract with the Bundesliga club – a situation which has unnerved Leipzig.
There were suggestions that Dortmund would use the money they received from Chelsea for Christian Pulisic’s tranafer to fund a move for the striker.
However, Kicker recently stated that head coach Lucien Favre does not feel Werner is a tactical fit for his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.
The German international’s current deal ends in 2020, meaning Leipzig risk losing him for a cut-price fee in the summer, but Bild claim that the East German club have hatched a plan.
They will offer him a new deal which contains a €70m (£61m) release clause, which only the ‘top ten’ teams in European football can activate, the report claims.
The same outlet also claims that Klopp is wary of interest from Bayern Munich, and as such has asked the Liverpool board to make an opening bid of €40m.
Leipzig have warned the 22-year-old that he will be sold in the summer if he does not extend his contract with the Bundesliga side.